Thursday June 4, 2009, Travel Day

Today was the day that we have been waiting for all year. Bill had gotten everything ready on his trailer but had left the electricity hooked up to keep the fridge cold. I had done everything I could do but had left the water, Dish and of course the electricity hooked up. We had both connected the truck and trailer, so we were as ready as would have been.

Bill wanted some iced-down Dr. Pepper to take with them in the truck and had to go to the store to get them. I rode with him in Ornell's car and we also went to the donut shop to have some breakfast. We came back to the house and ate, and were ready to go soon. We left the driveway at 7:33, so it was earlier in the morning and a full day and a half earlier than we had first planned to leave. We made several stops for bathroom breaks. At one point, Stella discovered that the refrigerator was off and Bill said we were out of propane. We stopped at a Camping World store in Hammond La. and I had the tanks filled. I discovered that one tank was full and the other empty so I only had to fill one. I guess the automatic switchover valve didn't work, but both tanks are full now.

We continued on, making very good time. It is impossible for me to check my mileage because when I transfer fuel from the big tank, there is no gauge to tell me how many gallons are used. I seem to be getting good mileage because we went almost 500 miles today and I only had to fill up twice.

Along the way, I got a call from John Green, whom I used to work with in Manvel and had testified with yesterday in the DWI trial. He called to tell me that the defendant had been sentenced to 75 years in the penitentiary for his crime. Wow, I am blown away by this! I have arrested and put away bank robbers, murderers and sexual assaulters of both adults and children and this DWI conviction is the longest sentence that has ever been handed out to a defendant in my career. Wow wow wow.....It is a great way to end my long law enforcement career.

We had intended to stop in Jackson Mississippi for the night but when we got near the park, Ornell called and got a recording from the park that all spaces were filled. We drove on to Grenada Miss. and found the Frog Hollow RV Park. Now before you laugh, it is a pretty nice place with gravel roads and parking areas and grass between the sites. It's not a great place and certainly not a destination, but its okay for an overnight stay.We pulled in about 5:30 and after checking in, were soon escorted to our sites. I had 80 pounds of water pressure, and am glad I bought a water regulator in Albuquerque.

I rained off and on all day long, with some of the rain very hard. When we got here it was still threatening to rain more but the temperature was only 69 degrees! We sat outside for awhile, winding down from the long, 10 hour day of driving and trying to figure out where we will go tomorrow. We decided on Sikeston Mo. tomorrow, Terre Haute Ind. on Saturday and into Goshen on Sunday.

Now for a good night's sleep in the cool Mississippi night.